Mechanical music-chart.



- No. 659,H3.

Patented Oct. 2, |900. S. B. TURNER.

MECHANICAL MUSIC CHART.

(Application led Apr. 7, 1900.)

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Patented Oct. 2, |900. S. B. TURNER.

MECHANICAL MUSIC CHART.

(Application led Apr. 7. 1900.)

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No. 659,:13. Patented ud. 2, |900..

4 S. B. TURNER. IEGHANICL MUSIC CHART.

(Application filed Apr. 7, 1900.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL B. TURNER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.y

MECHANICAL. M USIC-CHART.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,1 13, dated October 2, 1900.

Application filed April '7, 1900. Serial No. 12,017. (No modelJ To @ZZ whom LT may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL B. TURNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ohorigraphs or Mechanical Music-Charts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention -relates to improvements in a chorigraph or mechanical music-chart; and it consists in certain peculiarities of the con struction, novel arrangement, and operation of the various parts thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

The principal objects of my invention are, first, to provide a chorigraph or mechanical musie-chart` with adjustable signatures or marks of transposition and automatic transposer for students and teachers of vocal and instrumental music which shall be simple in construction and operation, being especially arranged andl designed for the piano, organ, or similar instruments; second, to provide such a chorigraph or chart which will illustrate the diatonic scales in all the keys in chromatic succession from Gb to Fit, inclusive, in major music and from Ely to D5, inclusive, in minor music, and, third, will show the relation between major and minor music with the principal chords of each as commonly employed in piano and organ accompaniments.

Other objects and advantages of my in vention will appear in the description hereinafter contained.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention pertains to make use of the same, l will now proceed to describe it, referring to the accompanying' drawings, in which- Figures l and 2 are views in front elevation of the chorigraph or chart, showing it ready for use in the key of Gb major or its relative E17 minor. Fig. 3 is a detached front view in elevation of a portion of the automatic transposer or sliding piece, showing the double indicator and a part of the groups of notes representing chords and passing or connecting notes, and also marks of transposition or signatures with letters and characters of explanation, and also syllables, numerals, notes, and characters representing the diatonic major and minor scales. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. l, showing the detailed construction of the device. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view in elevation of a portion of the device, showing it ready for use'in the key of G major and E minor. Fig. 6 represents scales and chords to be Shown on the front part of the chorigraph or chart, as herein explained; and Fig. 7 represents the transparency made opaque in parts, as hereinafter explained.

Similar characters and letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

H represents the body of the chorigraph or chart., which in size should correspond with the keyboard of a piano or organ, but may be larger or smaller and made of any suitable material, the front being made of transparent Celluloid or other like material and having printed or painted thereon a representation of the keyboard of a piano or organ and also staffs, clefs, lines, words, and letters, as shown in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, and also having thereon groups of numerals with the fifth sharped in minor, thus representing major and minor scales and chords, as shown in Fig. G of the drawings. This body or sup porting-piece is usually rectangular in outlines and is generally formed of three pieces h, 7U, and h2, glued or otherwise secured together in such manner as to form a cavity h3 for the operation of the transposer or sliding piece l, located in the cavity of the body or inclosing case, the characters thereon being partly visible through the transparent or partly-transparent piece, the transposer being made of cardboard or other thin material and having thereon a series of thirteen signatures or marks of transposition 7b4, the same being diagonally arranged in pairs and locat ed at or near the left-hand end of the trans poser and separated by characters of explanation, as shown at hf in Fig. 3 of the drawings, in such manner as to register with words h, thus showing the relation between major and minor keys, or said characters of explanation may be omitted, as is usual in written music, and also the words registering therewith.

Arranged in an inclined diagonal line on the transposer or sliding piece l are a nurnber of characters representing notes hl, and

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Y numerals thereon.

also arranged in horizontal lines are a succession of Arabic numerals from l to 7, inclusive, hs, and also the syllables do, re, ini, fa, sol, la, si, LJ, the numeral l and the syllable do being repeated on the octave and the en tire series of syllables, notes, and numerals being repeated once for each additional octave. The transposer is also provided with groups of notes t' and t', representing, respectively, major and minor chords, with passing or connecting notes in the first or lower position, and also a double indicator 2, pointing to the relative major and minor keys, as shown by the representation of the keyboard of a piano or organ. 3 refers to vertical lines of syllables and numerals, showing the degrees of the scales on the statfs in the different transpositions, the whole representing` and transposing the diatonic scales in the thirteen major and their relative minor keys and showing the relation between major and minor music by reason of the diagonally and horizontally movable transposer, causing the signatures, words, letters, notes, numerals, syllables, and characters thereon to register with the staffs, clefs, lines, bars, spaces, words, and letters located on the partly-transparent piece. t refers to pointers attached to and belonging to notes on the transposer and pointing to the corresponding degrees of the scale, as shown by shows the fifth degree of the major scale sharped to correspond with the harmonic minor scale. The transposer is also provided near its entlswvith supports t, with their edges beveled to engage the series of steps and inclines i7 in the cavity of the body or inclosing case, so that when the transposer is slid back and forth by means of the silken cords is, or otherwise, it will be caused to rise and fall for the purpose of registering, as herein stated. rlhe transposer is also provided with shoulders if to engage shoulders j in the body or inclosing case to prevent the transposer being displaced or drawn too far in either direction.

In Fig. 17" represents a portion of the transparency painted White or with a color to correspond with the device in two places on its opposite side or otherwise made opaque in parts, as shown at j in Fig. 7 of the drawings, the paint being applied in such manner as to leave a transparent space between for the display of the signatures.

In Figs. land 2,32 refers toguide-lines chromatically connected with the representation of the keyboard.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of the device with characters representing the diatonic major and minorscales, also showing accompanying chords majorand accompanying chords minor, the lifth being sharped in minor to correspond with the harmonic minor scale and also showing smaller numerals to denote the fingering, the whole to be placed on the front part of the chorigraph or chart, as illustrated in Figs. 1,2, and 7 ofthe drawingsLj3 representing major chords, and ,i4 the relative or corresponding chords in minor. rihe former groups referto the degrees of the major scale required to produce the principal major chords and to the numerals and their corresponding notes, as shown on the transposer. The latter' groups likewise show what degrees of the major scale should be used to produce the corresponding chords in minor music. Both major and minor chords may be represented in all the keys, as herein stated, by adjusting the transposer to correspond with the key desired by means of the silken cords 118 until the signature and the corresponding scales appear,being visible through the partly-transparent piece and registering with the staffs thereon in like manner as in written music, in which case the keys to be used on the piano or organ will be found directly u nder the numerals on the transposer corresponding with the horizontal rows of characters in the groups, as above stated, thus exhibiting scales and combinations of chords and showing in the different positions with easy fingering the principal major and minor chords used in aocompanying. Fig. 7 is a front View of a portion of the transparent piece, showing where the paint should be applied on the opposite or farther side, the staffs, clefs, the., being printed on the front or nearest side, the paint being applied in two places in such manner as to leave a transparent space between for the display of the signatures.

The lower part of the device is provided with a piece of felt f or other soft material for the keys of the instrument to strike against to prevent rattling and to protect the keys.

Vhile I have shown the chorigraph or chart arranged for a tive-octave instrument, yet I do not desire to limit myself to such arrangement, as I may construct and arrange it for a larger or smaller number of octaves, or add to or omit notes or chords, or omit the double indicator i2, oromit the pointers t4, or manufacture the device with only one staff instead of two, or place the series of steps on the lower edge of the transposer or sliding" piece and the supports within the cavity of the body or inelosing case, thus inverting` these parts without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

In using my chorigraph or mechanical music-chart I place it in an upright position on the keyboard of the piano, organ, or like instrument, with the staffs and characters on its front surface plainly visible and with the letters thereon in diagonal line over the cor responding keys of the instrument. Then it is desired to play or accompany a piece of music written in the key of Gp major or its relative Ep minor, the transposer is slid toward the left or bass by means of one of the silken cords t8, or otherwise, until the corresponding signature and scales appear on the staffs, the same being visible through the partly-transparent piece and registering with the staffs, lines, and spaces thereon in like IOO IIO

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manner as in Written music, the signatures and characters of explanation not required in that key being hidden from view by reason of the transparent piece being made opaque in parts, as shown at j in Figs. l and 7 of the drawings. When it is desired to play in the key of G major or its relative E minor, the transposer is slid toward the right or treble until the signature corresponding therewith is displayed, thus transposing what was previously shown in the key of Gly major and Eb minor to the key of G major and E minor. From the foregoing it is evident that the remaining keys may be effected and transposed in like manner, the signatures, notes, and characters in all cases adjusting automatically, so as to correspond With the requirements of the key desired.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a chorigraph or mechanical musicchart, the combination with a body or supporting-piece having series of steps, of a transposer movably connected therewith,said transposer having supports to engage said steps, substantially as described.

therein, and having connected therewith a partly-transparent piece having thereon a music-staff, of a transposer with supports having beveled edges to engage said steps, said transposer having thereon signatures or marks of transposition, and also notes or characters representing the diatonic scale or scales, substantially as described.

3. In a chorigraph or mechanical music* chart, the combination With a body or supporting-piece having a cavity with steps therein and having connected therewith a transparent piece the same being made opaque in parts and having thereon a music staiI" or staffs and a representation of the keyboard of a piano or organ and groups of numerals representing scales and chords, of a transposer movably located within the cavity of the body and having supports to engage said steps, said transposer having thereon signatures, syllables and characters representing scales and chords, and also a double indicator, substantially as described.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this th day of April, 1900.

SAMUEL B. TURNER.

Vitnesses:

L. T. SCHAEFER, LUoIUs TETER. 

